Construction of the D Street suspension bridge was an early priority of the Denver & Rio Grande because so many of its shop workers and yard hands lived on that side of town. The bridge shortened their walk to work.
On May 30, 1904, over a thousand people were milling about downtown Salida for the Memorial Day celebration and 20-30 were on the footbridge, watching the festivities upstream.
Everyone on the bridge leaned on the upstream side of the bridge to get a good view when a cable snapped, and the bridge collapsed into the river, taking everyone with it.
Most made it out of the water with help from the people on the banks, but four people died that day.
Alice Chinn Collection.